The Great Gildersleeve is a radio situation comedy broadcast in the United States from August 31, 1941 to 1958. Initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, it was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. The series was built around Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, a regular character from the radio situation comedy Fibber McGee and Molly. The character was introduced in the October 3, 1939, episode of that series. Actor Harold Peary had played a similarly named character, Dr. Gildersleeve, on earlier episodes. The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 1940s. Peary played the character during its transition from the parent show into the spin-off and later in four feature films released at the height of the show's popularity.
Peary in his heyday as the Great Gildersleeve
Willard Waterman and Stephanie Griffin in the TV series The Great Gildersleeve, 1955
Lillian Randolph as Birdie on the TV version (1955)
Fibber McGee and Molly (1935–1959) was a longtime husband-and-wife team radio comedy program.
Fibber McGee and Molly with Ted Weems and his Orchestra broadcasting from Chicago in 1937.
The other cast members circa 1939.
A character shot of Fibber and Molly, 1937.
Photo of "the Closet"; the actual on-the-air sound was done by sound effects men.
